Eating to increase your lifespan is a breeze with these three dishes.

Dr. Mark Hyman believes in longevity — in case you haven’t heard, he aspires to live to 180 years old. And part of his master plan calls for carefully tailoring his diet to this task (alongside other lifestyle adjustments). That said, many of us think that eating for health automatically means we’ve got to give up eating for pleasure (in which case, the prospect of lasting for over a century might not be worth it).

Luckily, Dr. Hyman’s cookbook, The Young Forever Cookbook: More than 100 Delicious Recipes for Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life disapproves that myth in the yummiest way possible. Think flavorful crumbles, frittatas, and lettuce wraps that are sure to make the next 100 years fly by. To give you a taste of the book, Dr. Hyman shares three recipes for easy, creative meals comprised of wholesome ingredients. And yes, this trio does include a dessert.

Savory Breakfast Salad

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Salad for breakfast? It may not seem like your typical choice, but this salad — packed with crunchy greens, protein-rich cheese, heart-healthy eggs, and lean turkey bacon — is a great start to your day, and the protein-packed ingredients are essential for healthy aging. I love adding a scoop of leftover grains from the fridge, but it’s equally as wholesome without.

Ingredients

Breakfast Salad

4 slices turkey bacon
4 large pasture-raised organic eggs
4 heads Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
4 large radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup leftover cooked grains, such as quinoa or brown rice (optional)
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup finely chopped toasted walnut pieces

Instructions

For the breakfast salad: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then a wire rack. Arrange the turkey bacon on the rack and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the strips and continue baking for another 5 minutes, until crisp.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Using a spoon, gently lower the eggs into the water and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. Once cool, peel the eggs, halve, and set aside.
For the dressing: Combine all the ingredients except the walnuts in a bowl, stirring to emulsify. Stir in the walnuts and taste; adjust the seasoning if necessary.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, radishes, grains (if using), and a couple tablespoons of the dressing, mixing well. Divide the salad among four bowls and top with the turkey bacon, goat cheese, and egg halves. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Vietnamese Turkey Bun Cha

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

These Vietnamese turkey patties are a great make-ahead protein as you can enjoy them cold with the crunchy salad or on their own. Ground turkey is a delicious, affordable lean protein and an excellent source of vitamin B₁₂ and niacin, both of which can help regulate your digestive and nervous systems. I’ve added even more nutrition with zucchini, which is rich in vitamin C. This crispy crunchy bun cha is the perfect midweek meal.

Ingredients

Patties

1 pound pasture-raised ground turkey
1 lemongrass stalk, outer layer removed, bulb and light green part minced
1 small zucchini, grated and gently squeezed to remove excess moisture
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons avocado oil

Dressing

3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 red Thai chile, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced

Salad

2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
½ English cucumber, julienned
¼ large daikon radish, peeled and julienned
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped toasted cashews, plus more for garnish

2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the patties: In a large bowl, combine all the patty ingredients except the avocado oil with your hands, being careful not to overwork. Divide into twelve portions and shape into patties. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add half the patties and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Allow the pan to cool slightly. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil and continue cooking the patties. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the patties reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
For the salad dressing: In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together.
For the salad: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the lime wedges.
To serve, toss the salad with most of the dressing and place in shallow bowls. Top with a couple turkey patties and an extra drizzle of dressing. Sprinkle with additional cilantro, mint leaves, and chopped cashews and serve with lime wedges.

Tip: These turkey patties make an excellent snack on their own, and they freeze well. Double the batch!

Mixed Berry and Almond Crisp

Serves: 6 to 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

There is nothing like the sweet smell of a warm fruit crisp baking in the oven. Rich with summer berries and a crunchy crumble topping piled over the mound of bubbling fruit, this crisp is a delicious one-pan bake. Rich in the phytonutrient resveratrol, the antioxidant-filled berries help protect your body from AGEs (advanced glycation end products), a biomarker implicated in aging and degenerative disease. You can easily substitute other seasonal fruit.

Ingredients

Berry Filling

3 pounds mixed berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries (quartered if large)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste

Crisp Topping

1¾ cups quinoa flakes
½ cup almond flour
1 cup sliced almonds, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup maple syrup
¾ cup (1½ sticks) grass-fed unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted

½ cup unsweetened coconut yogurt, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to to 375°F.
For the berry filling: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a 12-inch ovenproof skillet.
For the crisp topping: In a large bowl, combine the quinoa flakes, almond flour, almonds, and cinnamon. Add the maple syrup and melted butter or coconut oil and stir until the mixture is no longer dry.
Crumble the topping all over the fruit. Bake for 25 minutes, until the berries are soft and bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Scoop the berry crisp into bowls and top with dollops of yogurt if desired

Recipes excerpted from THE YOUNG FOREVER COOKBOOK by Mark Hyman, MD. Copyright © 2024 by Hyman Enterprises, LLC. Photograph by Kyla Zanardi. Used with permission of Little, Brown Spark, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.